The tournament, held at the Golf Club Munich Nord Eichenried from 28 - 30 August 2003 ranks high on the list of popular events for the touring professionals and compares favourably with the Dubai Desert Classic, another eventÊ for which Emirates is Official Airline partner.
Emirates is already well-known in Germany for sponsoring sport. The airline is one of 15 Official Partners of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Germany.

Henry Hasselbarth, Emirates Regional Manager North and Central Europe, said: “Our sponsorship of sporting events in Germany not only emphasises the importance of the German market to us but also how committed we are to developing our business here.Ê Sponsorship of top sporting events, like the BMW International Open 2003 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, underscores our brand awareness as a leading international airline, not only in Germany but also with television viewers in numerous markets worldwide.”

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates` Executive Vice President - Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: “Emirates has been a significant sponsor of golf, not least through the Dubai Desert Classic, and we are delighted to extend our involvement with first class sports events with this agreement.Ê “The German market is growing in importance for Emirates, and by investing in high-profile sponsorships like the BMW Open and 2006 FIFA World Cup, we are well placed to continue the development of our corporate profile and of our business.”

The BMW International Open 2003 forms part of the PGA European Tour and carries a total of EUR 1.8 million in prize money. This year 154 professionals will take part, including leading golfers Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer, defending champion Thomas Björn, John Daly and Padraig Harrington.

Bjorn, who is based in Dubai during the winter months and where he won the Desert Classic in 2001, is also reigning champion of the BMW International Open.

Emirates serves Germany with five flights a day between Dubai and Munich, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf - a total of nearly 9,000 seats a week.

Emirates flies twice a day from Frankfurt and Munich to Dubai and once daily from Dusseldorf to Dubai. From its Dubai hub it services to 67 cities in 47 countries on a route network that stretches across four continents, withÊ convenient connections to Australia, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Emirates recently made headlines by placing the largest aircraft order ever in aviation history. At the Paris Air Show it ordered jets from Airbus and Boeing worth $19 billion, helping it to more than double its fleet by 2010.

——-